Romania - The Wildlife of Transylvania

The Carpathian Mountains form a sweeping and majestic arc that rises in Slovakia and passes east along the Polish border before turning south into Ukraine and finally Romania. This is a relatively young mountain chain, an eastern extension of the Alps which rose around 60 million years ago and is still rising to this day. It is in Transylvania however, the forest-clad central Romanian province steeped in legend and folklore, that the Carpathians are at their widest and most majestic. This is a region famed for the supernatural, but for the naturalist such legends are but an interesting distraction from the wealth of wildlife to be found here. Fortunately, werewolves are difficult to locate these days, but Wolves and Brown Bears still roam the forests in good numbers, birds and butterflies are abundant, and the flora contains a profusion of species endemic to the region.

For centuries the people living within the elbow of the Romanian Carpathians have existed in harmony with a rich variety of birds and animals. The continuation of their ancient, low-intensity farming methods has allowed the wildlife to flourish and provides an insight into how our own landscape would have looked in days gone by. Add to this abundance of wildlife the soaring peaks of the Carpathians and one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe and you have all the ingredients for an unforgettable holiday!

Our tour begins with a flight to Bucharest from where we drive for three hours out of the flat plains that surround the capital and into the cool, forest-clad mountains of the Carpathians. We will base ourselves for the week in the attractive mountain village of Magura, set within flower-filled meadows and commanding spectacular views of the surrounding forest-clad hills and jagged peaks of the Piatra Craiului National Park. From here we will head out each day to explore the beautiful mountains and valleys of Transylvania and to enjoy the birds, mammals and landscapes on a series of natural history walks.

Our exact itinerary will depend on the weather conditions and the advice of our local guide. We will, however, spend time exploring the forests, peaks and limestone gorges of the nearby Piatra Craiului National Park. This spectacular park is dominated by a jagged, 25-kilometre limestone ridge, widely regarded as one of Romania’s most beautiful sights, which reaches a height of 2,244 metres. Brown Bears, Wolf and even Lynx still roam the forests whilst, to date, 110 species of bird and 1,108 species of higher plant have been recorded, including two endemics. The lower slopes are sliced by a series of limestone gorges, such as the Zarnesti Gorge, home to Wallcreepers, Black Redstarts and wheeling flocks of Alpine Swifts. The forests are also the haunt of Black, Grey-headed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Sombre Tit, plus the majestic, but elusive, Ural Owl. There is also much to keep the botanist and lepidopterist interested including 41 species of orchid, Carpathian Bellflower and Alpine Lady’s Mantle, plus such butterflies as Scarce Swallowtail, Clouded Apollo and Meadow Fritillary.

During the tour we will look for the tracks of larger mammals by finding and identifying their prints, spoor and the other easily missed signs of the large carnivores that still patrol these hills. We hope to find Wolf and Brown Bear tracks and learn how to tell the former from the more common dog prints. Then, as the sun lowers, we will make our way to a specially constructed hide deep in the forest to watch the animals themselves. Wolves and Lynx are rarely seen, but the Brown Bears frequently descend from the hills in the evening and, whilst nothing is certain in the world of wildlife watching, we have a good chance of seeing one or more of these magnificent creatures. Indeed, Romania still holds the largest population of Brown Bears on the continent and, whilst they are not faring so well in other regions of Europe, in the Carpathians they are flourishing!

There is so much more to enjoy in this spectacular region. Butterflies are abundant, and there are numerous other birds and plants to find that are not mentioned above. It is, however, impossible to visit Transylvania and completely ignore the folklore and stories that abound here. We will, therefore, take a short break from the wildlife to visit nearby Castle Bran, the alleged haunt of Vlad the Impaler, on whom the Dracula stories are based. Finally, for those who wish, we can arrange an excursion into the nearby medieval town of Brasov before we must sadly retrace our steps back to Bucharest to catch our flight home.